“You can rely on us”
Lambrecht sends 350 additional soldiers to Lithuania
2/7/2022, 4:03 p.m
In view of the increasing tensions with Russia, Germany is sending more Bundeswehr soldiers to Lithuania. According to Defense Minister Lambrecht, these “could be deployed within a few days.” The left criticizes the reinforcement in the already delicate situation.
The Bundeswehr is increasing its presence in the former Soviet Republic of Lithuania by up to 350 soldiers. “We are thus strengthening our contribution to NATO’s eastern flank and sending a clear signal of determination to our alliance partners,” said Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht during a visit to the Munster military training area. The message to the alliance partners is: “You can rely on us.” The additional soldiers could “be deployed within a few days,” said the minister. She informed the Bundestag about the decision “a few minutes ago”.
Around 500 Bundeswehr soldiers are currently stationed in Lithuania, which borders on the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Belarus and has been part of NATO since 2004, as part of the western military alliance’s so-called front presence. Germany also regularly takes part in NATO airspace surveillance in the Baltic States and in Romania.
Foreign Minister of State Tobias Lindner pointed out on Deutschlandfunk that an increase in the contingent could not be interpreted as a serious threat by Russia. Should this happen, then “that would be propaganda,” said the Green politician. Lindner pointed out that there had already been German contingents of 800 to 1,000 soldiers in the Baltic States in the past. However, the principle of rotating NATO troops should be adhered to: “No unit will be stationed permanently in Lithuania or any other Baltic state.”
Left rejects reinforcements
A spokesman for the Federal Foreign Office classified the current situation in the Ukraine conflict as serious. “It’s hard not to see it as a threat when Russia deploys more than a hundred thousand soldiers with heavy equipment, tanks and guns on the border with Ukraine without providing any information as to what they are actually supposed to be doing there,” said the spokesman in Berlin . This is “reason enough for us to think very seriously and very concretely with our partners about how we would react to such a scenario”.
The Left Party criticized an increase in the presence of the Bundeswehr. “The left refuses to send more German soldiers to the Baltic States,” said their defense expert Sevim Dagdelen. “The last thing that is needed in the charged situation is another foreign deployment of the Bundeswehr as part of NATO on the Russian border.” “Security guarantees for all sides instead of constant saber-rattling against Russia” are now necessary.